New Study Details Corporal Punishment in State

A first-of-its-kind report describes corporal punishment practices across the state.

Jeff Tiberii: The study by Action for Children North Carolina details nearly 900 instances of corporal punishment that took place in the state last school year. Robeson, Columbus and McDowell counties accounted for 87-percent of all the corporal punishment. Tom Vitaglione wrote the study.

Tom Vitaglione: Well the disturbing news it that corporal punishment in our public schools is being administered disproportionately by gender, race and disability status of the student.

Vitaglione says only two percent of the students state wide are American Indian, but they received 35-percent of the corporal punishment. Robeson county has a higher than average population of American Indian students. Thirty one states in the union have banned corporal punishment. Vitaglione would like to see North Carolina join that group.